Thursday, February 26, 2009

Facebook

So, I'm on Facebook again.

I think I told you all awhile ago that I got tricked into getting an account to see a friend's photos, and then started getting a flurry of friend requests that freaked me out, so I deleted the account immediately and never gave it another thought.

Then my boss started convincing me it was great for networking, and everyone always looked so disappointed when I said I didn't do it and people were always talking about it...and I broke down and signed up again.

(Big sigh)

Let me say it loud and clear:

I HATE FACEBOOK.


Hate is not too strong a word here either. H-A-T-E.

First off, you know how I get a little paranoid. Lately Google is freaking me out a bit and I'm not entirely convinced that they aren't positioning themselves to take over the world.

Add Facebook to the mix, wanting to know everything about you from your first grade teacher to your blood type, along with everyone you've ever met, and I'm just feeling tremendously freaked out about the whole thing. I didn't answer any of their data mining stuff factually and checked the security settings immediately, but it makes me uncomfortable.

Secondly, the whole thing is still very weird to me. I've got people poking me, kicking me in the groin, sending me fish, I'm seeing all kinds of stranger's drunken weekend photos, reading what people I knew from 2nd grade had for breakfast...almost every time I sign on there's a "WTF?" sort of moment waiting for me. I just don't fully understand it yet and it seems confusing.

Also, it's like having everyone I've ever known in one big room together...which is pretty much my worst nightmare.

Clearly, I'm too crazy for Facebook. I won't delete it because I really want to like it and I'm hoping it will grow on me. It's slow growing right now though.

16 comments:

Paige said...

I was the same way and now I am addicted. You will come around and learn to enjoy it--try not to feel like everyone is looking at you, but that t is the other way around and then you will have fun

Anonymous said...

Facebook is definately intimidating at first (and slightly creepy), but trust me, soon you will look forward to signing in and seeing who commented on who's wall, who got drunk last weekend, who wants to add you as a friend... just give it time! Clearly I'm a bit of an addict...

A. said...

FB freaks me out, too. I haven't done any of those social networking sites. In addition to the personal information stuff, I'm afraid of getting sucked in and never being able to leave, too.

LivingLifeBackwards said...

It grows on you, I promise. I had mine for 6 months and never touched it. Now I check it more than myspace.

Anonymous said...

The key to surviving FB is to manage expectations and set up privacy preferences....Good luck.

Former Fat Chick said...

It's like high school! and I LOVED High School! I also lived in 8 different countries growing up, so it is super cool to connect with people from all over the world.

Anonymous said...

Eh. It is what you make it. It's freaks me out a bit sometimes, too. Plus I gained a a scary stalker from it. SCORE!

Jen said...

I am on FB, but take a cautious approach. I won't fill in any of my "favorites" like movies, or things to do. I've heard it might be used for very targeting marketing of ads to you - that kind of thing. I feel like even though every joe schmo can't see my info, who knows what Big Brothers are looking at it, or who might hack into it one day. Right now, I don't even have any photos of my kids posted on it, but I'm going to add some soon. Heck - I do have a blog, which I keep pretty private (with pics of the kids onit), but still. I think I'm most cautious with putting a lot of targeted personal info on it. Like you said - weird that everyone you've ever known in one big room. Different groupings of people from different times in your life - do they really all need to know these things?

So, I've decided to make it what I'm comfortable with. I type a Status update on myself a few times a week at most. And, mainly I use it to read about friends happenings and see what they are up to.

But, it took me a l-o-n-g time to get to this point.

Allyson and Dave said...

I was reading your post and my screen went blank and then I got a big "google error" page. I think they know you are talking about them.

Shannon said...

Ditto. I "share" my hubby's account (which he LOVES)so I can peep around and still be semi-anonymous. It's interesting enough, but then after 5 min. it's like, "ok, Julie had Mexican for lunch, John is sleepy, George is at work, Mary wiped her kid's butt..." who cares!?!?!

Susan said...

I have a serious addiction to Facebook. But it took a while.

LuLu said...

Unfortunately...I'm pretty obsessed with FB. Not as much now, since I've been blogging...hope you find some like it in:)

Maddness of Me said...

I totally agree. I just can't get over having 'everyone in the same room'. Holy shit.

My boss is there, my bosses boss... add to that some dirt ass friends that I used to party with in the 80's... it's a recipie for disaster.

My first boyfriend ever, from when I was 16... is there. Holy effing shit. So now, I never know what to say.

"Kimberly just got back from Bally's" who gives a shit? I feel like I need to get a life just for Facebook.

Meg said...

It'll grow on you. It's slightly crackalicious.

Anonymous said...

I also resisted FB for a long time and am now addicted. HOWEVER, I don't have every person I ever sat next to in Jr. High as my friend. I only have about 30 Friends and they're all people that I was very close to/BFF in the past that I lost touch with, so it's been great reconnecting. I ignore all other requests. I ESPECIALLY do not want family or co-workers as my friend.

Ms. Skywalker said...

With you--love/hate facebook.

I won't accept applications or the thousand requests I get per day b/c it freaks me out when it says something like, "access to all your info" and I hear, "going to hunt you down and steal your maxed out credit card numbers."

Cause I'm paranoid like that.